By Derek Beaudette
Basketball. Rugby. Baseball. These are a few of the options which are available to the wheelchair athletes in Ottawa.
This January, one of Canada’s rarest wheelchair sports will be added to this list of options.
The University of Ottawa Excalibur Fencing Team is starting a wheelchair fencing program in the new year.
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to offer the opportunity to take part in the sport to anyone who’s interested, including people in wheelchairs,” says Excalibur coach Paul Apsimon.
Wheelchair fencing started on an organized basis in England in 1953 and now enjoys a full calendar of events including European, World and Paralympic championships. The sport is very popular in Britain and just last year wheelchair fencing circuits began in North America.
But, in Canada, wheelchair fencing is virtually unknown. There were two known facilities in Canada that offered wheelchair fencing but one of those, in Toronto, has shut down.
Keith Boustead, a member of the Excalibur club, says the lack of availability may have something to do with the expensive equipment required.
“It’s not like Nike is making anything for it, this is extremely specialized equipment, not mainstream,” says Boustead.
There are two pieces of specific equipment Boustead is referring to. One is a large metallic brace which locks the wheelchairs into position. The other is a metallic blanket which covers the wheelchair.
The rules of wheelchair fencing are almost identical to those of the original sport. The fencer with the shortest arm decides whether the fight will be at his distance or his opponent’s and the chairs are locked into place.
No points are awarded to the fencer if he strikes his opponent’s chair, all hits must be above the waist and the fencers must remain firmly seated. The metallic blanket covers the chair and will stop the button on the end of the epee or foil, which rewards points from going off. Apart from this, all standard fencing rules apply.
Suzie Cuzner, an employee at the National Capital Sports Council of the Disabled, says the sport could become popular in Ottawa.
“Our organization is made up of various sporting clubs for the disabled and I definitely think there would be potential interest in the Ottawa area.”
The program will be the first of its kind in the Ottawa area. Organizers hope it will spark local interest in all forms of fencing, a sport many Canadians overlooked in the past.